Normal Group Riding Maneuvers
Entering Traffic
When the Lead Bike for each group sees that all
riders are helmeted, sitting on their bikes, motors running, and ready to
depart, he or she will check for traffic and enter the roadway. Usually the
Lead Bike will not attempt to exit a parking lot unless there is room for all
or most of the group to follow immediately. If the group is split, the Lead
Bike will normally take the slow lane and keep the speed relatively low until
the group can form up in the positions the riders will keep for the duration of
the ride. This may mean traveling slower than surrounding traffic, to encourage
four-wheelers to pass and allow the group to form up. Occasionally this cannot
be accomplished until the group has made a lane change or entered a freeway,
depending on where the entrance ramp may be.
Regardless of the Lead Bike’s signals, a rider is
responsible for his or her own safety at all times. Ride Your Own Ride.
Once all members of the group are together, the
group will take up a staggered formation and will stay in it most of the time
during the ride, unless the Lead Bike signals for a change or the need for a
change is obvious. Reasons for changing out of a staggered formation could be a
passing situation or poor road surface (single file), dog or other animal
charging the group (split the group), or coming up to a traffic signal (two
abreast while waiting for a light).
Changing Lanes
When a group of motorcycles is changing lanes, many safety
considerations come into play. Should every rider move into the adjacent lane
at the same time? If not, should the Lead Bike go first, or should the Drag
Bike move first to “secure the lane”? When the Drag Bike radios to the group
that the lane is secured, is it really? What if another vehicle sees a gap in
traffic and tries to cut into the group? If part of the group gets separated
from the other riders, should everyone change relative positions (tracks) so
that the new Lead Bike is now riding in the left track? The recommended
procedure for a group lane change maneuver depends on how the surrounding
traffic is moving at the time. The goal for the bike which moves first is to
create a gap into which the other bikes can fit.
Regardless of what other riders in the group
are doing, each rider must personally check to see that the new lane is clear
of traffic before entering it.
Changing Lanes as a Group
There is virtually no time (absent an emergency)
when a group of riders should all move at the same time into a different lane,
in regular traffic conditions. The wide gap required for a whole group to move
is difficult to find in heavy traffic, and if it exists, it will be an
invitation for other drivers to jump into it, perhaps while the group might be
moving. Additionally, such a maneuver could be interpreted as “parading”, which
may arguably not be covered under some insurance policies.
Changing Lanes into Slower-Moving Traffic
In most jurisdictions traffic laws prescribe that,
on a road in which there are two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction,
the lane on the right will be the slower lane. If a group of motorcyclists is
going to move into the slower lane from the faster one, the first bike in a
group which moves is responsible for creating a gap into which all the
following bikes can fit. This is accomplished by maintaining a constant speed
in order to enlarge the gap after the first bike moves. Each bike moving in
succession should also be aware of this dynamic. Thus, the group moves from
first to last. (An exception is the Drag Bike, which may move on its own for
reasons explained later.)
The first bike to move under these conditions will
be the Lead Bike. The maneuver is accomplished in this way: the Lead Bike
signals for the lane change and announces to the group via CB and/or hand
signals that the group is moving to the right, front to back. Then, after
checking by actually turning the head to see that the new lane is cleared of
traffic sufficient for one bike to safely enter it, the Lead Bike moves across
the tracks of the current lane, taking up a position in the left track of the
new lane where the Lead Bike usually rides. By maintaining the maximum speed
which the traffic in that lane will allow, the Lead Bike creates a gap into
which the next bike in the group can insert, moving into the right track there.
Each succeeding bike follows this pattern: signal right, move right in your own
lane, head-check, enter new lane, maintain speed to create gap, and take up
regular position (left or right track) in the new lane.
The Drag Bike in this pattern is normally the last
to enter the new lane, unless “closing the door” was possible. As the bikes
move quickly and re-form their group, it is rare that a four-wheeler will move
up into the gap in the new lane. If a cage moves into the gap, the next bike to
move must tuck in behind it and wait for the group ahead to slow up,
encouraging the cage to pass. When the cage passes the slower forward group,
the whole group can re-form into a normal riding configuration.
Breaking Up is Hard To Do
If a lane change results in the group’s changing
formation -- the bike which was unable to move into the new lane slows down and
becomes for a time the Lead Bike for the left lane, while the rest of group
moves ahead in the slower lane -- or, the bike which was unable to move right
is forced to PASS the slower group -- should the new Lead Bike take the left
forward track?
Ordinarily, no. Only if the group breaks into two obvious sub-groups and
becomes separated for a substantial period of time should the “new Lead Bike”
move into a new track to the left, if that has not been that rider’s normal
position. Otherwise, this will be only a temporary break in formation, and the
riders will quickly enter the new lane and re-form as usual behind the Lead
Bike, in the positions they had originally.
Why doesn’t the “new Lead Bike” change tracks?
Because during any period in which the bikes are changing tracks, the spacing
between them is cut in half, drastically reducing the reaction time and space
available to the rider in case the bike directly ahead of him becomes a
problem. In a lane change, this period is fairly short. If the “new Lead Bike”
shifts position and all the bikes following attempt to adapt to the new
configuration by changing to a different track, they will then have to change
back when the original group re-forms. There is no real reason to put the
riders in additional jeopardy this way in order to have the “correct”
formation, just for short periods.
Forcing all the bikes in the rest of the group to
change track position is especially hazardous in the case of a new group rider
who has become accustomed to riding in the protected “slot” as opposed to
facing oncoming traffic in the exposed left track position. In most cases,
anyone who is riding in a group will quickly adapt to this change of conditions
and track positions, but there may be times when a new rider who is trying to
learn this whole concept will be very uncomfortable changing tracks. The Drag
Bike should pay special attention to inexperienced riders under these
conditions.
This pattern may occur not only during a lane
change, but also during a passing maneuver or when a group gets separated in
traffic because of signal lights and traffic flow.
The Drag Bike will usually notify the Lead Bike and
the rest of the group after a brief separation by one or more riders that the
group has re-formed by saying, “We’re family.”
Changing Lanes into Faster-Moving Traffic
The same basic lane-changing principle for entering
slow-moving lanes also applies when a group is entering faster-moving traffic
where at least two lanes of traffic are moving in the same direction; that is,
moving from the right lane to the left. The first bike to move creates a gap
for the remaining bikes. Since traffic is pulling away from the group as each
member enters the lane, this maneuver is done back to front.
The maneuver is accomplished in this manner: The
Lead Bike signals for a lane change and announces to the group via CB and turn
signals that the group will be moving to the left, back to front. Then the Lead
Bike asks the Drag Bike to “secure the lane” to the left to which the Drag Bike
should normally respond with “Stand by.” All station-keeping bikes maintain
their position while this occurs, putting their own turn signals on to indicate
the move to be made. The Drag Bike then moves first when a space in the lane to
the left opens up and radios to the Lead Bike and the group, “The lane is
secured.”
No one is to change lanes at this point, however!
First, each rider must make certain the lane is clear by actually turning his
head to insure that there is no other vehicle still approaching the group in
the left lane. If a vehicle is still moving up beside the group, the Drag Bike
will usually say, “After the red truck,” or “After the station wagon,” etc. Whether or not a warning is given by the Drag Bike (who may have
other concerns with the traffic to his rear), each rider must do a head-check
before entering a faster-moving lane.
The second bike to move will be the one in front of
the Drag Bike. That rider moves across the tracks of the current lane, does a
head-check, changes lane and then takes up a position in the track of the new
lane where he was originally riding. By dropping to a speed slightly slower
than the rate at which traffic in that lane has been traveling, each bike
creates a gap into which the next bike forward can insert. Each rider follows
this pattern: signal left, move left in your own lane, head-check, enter new
lane, maintain (slower) speed to create gap, and take up regular position (left
or right track) in the new lane.
The Lead Bike in this pattern is normally the last
to enter the new lane. As the bikes move quickly and re-form their group, it is
rare that a four-wheeler will move up into the gap in the new lane. If a cage
moves into the gap, the next bike to move must wait for the cage to pass, so
that a gap appears again. Then the maneuver can be completed and the group can
re-form into a normal configuration.
Passing
On a busy two-lane road, oncoming traffic typically
prevents a group from passing a slow-moving vehicle while in formation. Each
member of the group must accomplish two lane changes in order to pass, and this
usually is done on an individual basis.
Regardless of what a rider is told by others
in the group about oncoming vehicles, each rider must personally check to see
that the oncoming lane is clear of traffic before entering it.
If oncoming traffic requires the group to pass
individually, the Lead Bike will signal the group to move into a single-file
formation and will announce that the group members are to pass the vehicle one
at a time. The forward members of the group will gradually position themselves
in single file in the left track to prepare to pull into the oncoming lane. The
Lead Bike will usually wait for a gap in oncoming traffic that is big enough
for more than one bike to pass, but this is not always possible. When a safe
interval is observed, the Lead Bike will put its left turn signal on and pull
into the oncoming lane. After passing the “obstacle,” looking in the rear view
mirror for clearance and actually turning the head to be sure the lane is
clear, the Lead Bike then signals that it is moving into the right lane and
does so, taking its normal position in front of the slower vehicle(s) in the
left track. The Lead Bike must then maintain or even slightly increase its speed.
As with a lane change to the right, each bike should
be aware of the need to create a gap into which the next bike in succession can
fit after overtaking an obstacle. For this reason, each bike should maintain
speed after passing, until the Drag Bike has passed and the group has
re-formed.
Special care should be taken when passing not to
focus on distant oncoming traffic to the point of establishing “target
fixation.” The rider should continue to scan the environment for hazards and
should plan escape routes in case of the unexpected; for example, the
“obstacle” may come to life again when he sees motorcycles passing him and may
accelerate while the rider is still in the oncoming lane, exposed to additional
risk.
After he has passed the slower moving vehicle, the
Drag Bike will usually notify the Lead Bike that the group is intact again by
saying, “We’re family.”
Number One Rule (The ‘Prime Directive’)
In a group ride, the primary job for every rider is
to not hit the motorcycle in front of him.
Spacing Out
Especially on less-congested rural backroads,
the riders in a group may spread out to create larger intervals between
motorcycles. This allows a rider to relax a bit, to enjoy the scenery and the
ride. If no four-wheelers are trying to pass the group, this is fine. However,
the riders should remain close enough to each other to be able to see hand
signals being passed back from the Lead Bike. Also, if a group is at maximum
size (eight bikes is usually the limit) and the riders spread out too much in
hilly terrain, CB communication between the Lead Bike and the Drag Bike may be
severely tested or lost. The Lead and Drag Bikes cannot work together if they
can’t communicate.
It is possible that a rider will also “space out” in
terms of losing his concentration and will forget to practice safe riding
strategies. If the rider has become too fatigued to ride properly, the Drag
Bike will usually notice this first and will advise the Lead Bike that a rest
stop is needed. If a rider is not riding safely enough to
avoid endangering others in the group (because of lack of experience, medical
problems, fatigue, or some other reason), the Lead Bike will usually discuss
the problem privately with that rider at the next stop. If a problem
cannot be solved reasonably in this way, the Lead Bike has absolute discretion
to request that a rider leave the group and is entitled to expect the group to
support this decision. In the case of a mechanical or minor medical problem, it
is not unusual for another rider to accompany the distressed rider to get help.
Sometimes if the Lead Bike just re-assigns the riders to new positions within
the group, this is enough to bring a spaced-out motorcyclist back to a state of
alert awareness.
Checking Out The Curves
On any stretch of curvy road and in any corner, a
group may ride in single-file momentarily, to enable each rider to corner at
his own speed and to have as much room as possible for maneuvering. This is
especially important to riders with little experience in a group, as they may
“wobble” or be nervous about making turns with another bike to their side or
riding close behind them. This is an accepted variance to staggered formation;
usually the Lead Bike will not signal for single-file at each turn but will
expect the riders to choose their own path of travel.
Odd Formations and Maneuvers
Odd formations may be necessary in group riding when
there is a member of the group which is not a standard, two-wheel motorcycle --
an “odd duck.” This includes three-wheeled motorcycles (“trikes”),
bikes with a sidecar (“hacks”), bikes towing a trailer, or four-wheelers.
In each case, other than for four-wheelers, it’s a
good idea to place the odd duck at the rear of the formation, in the last
available slot. The group should also allow extra clearance and reaction time
for a bike towing a trailer. Instead of a one-second interval between that bike
and the next, and a two-second interval between it and the bike directly behind
it in the same track, these minimum times should be doubled. For trikes and hacks, it is not so important to position these
riders in a slot, but it is still a good idea, because these vehicles do not
handle turns in the same way a motorcycle does. If a rider has difficulty
handling an “odd duck” vehicle, the bike following it may need extra time to
react, and the “odd duck” should not worry about being hit from the rear by a
group member while he solves his problem. If there are several bikes towing
trailers in a group, they should generally be riding at the back of the group,
even if they are not all in slot positions.
When a four-wheeler is a part of a group, it should
trail the group behind the Drag Bike. It helps if the four-wheeler is equipped
with a CB radio. Additionally, that vehicle should drive with its headlights on
at all times, to enable the Drag Bike to distinguish it from other cages if
possible
Hand Signals
Certain hand signals are optional in group riding:
turn signals on the bikes ahead will usually advise a rider without a CB that a
turn is coming up, for example, and hand signals in a turning situation may
actually add to the danger for some. However, other hand signals are extremely
helpful to the rider who has no other means to communicate.
The most important two hand signals for a non-CB
equipped rider are these: pointing to an obstacle in the road, warning the
rider to avoid it; and pointing to the tank. The rider who has no CB should be
advised that, no matter what his reason, if he points to the tank on his bike,
he will be telling those following him (especially the Drag Bike) that he needs
to stop as soon as possible. This may be because he needs fuel; because he
wants to make a “potty stop”; because he is having a mechanical or equipment
problem; because his co-rider is uncomfortable; because he has a medical
problem; because he is having a crisis of confidence; or for any other reason
at all. Such a signal will be relayed to the Lead Bike. If a convenient place
is available, the Lead Bike may orchestrate a stop by the whole group. If not,
the affected bike can count on the Drag Bike to stop with him to try to help
him.
Other hand signals may be useful to bikes not
equipped with a CB during a group ride. These include
Universal 'Caution/Warning/Danger' Signal
Though it is not, yet, a universally agreed to signal, it should
be. That is, whenever a rider observes a potential threat, or wants to announce
that he may need to change speeds quickly, that rider is obliged to tap his
front brake lever twice in rapid succession. Any rider following that bike
needs to do two things when he observes that signal:
In the event that no emergency or rapid speed change
is needed or occurs within a minute or so of seeing that signal then all bikers
can assume the potential emergency has passed and can resume normal speeds and
spacing. Nothing was lost yet everyone took defensive postures, just in case.
That, after all, was the purpose of the signal in the first place.
Exceptions to
The often-heard rule, “Ride Your Own Ride,” means that any
guideline for group riding can and should be ignored when it doesn’t make
sense. Determining whether this is the case and acting prudently is each
rider’s individual responsibility at all times.
Under normal circumstances, the Lead Bike will
choose a lane, will determine the speed at which the riders are to travel, will
suggest the formation which makes maneuvers most safe, and will navigate.
Common exceptions to these guidelines occur with a
rider who is not yet experienced with group riding. If a maneuver looks too
dangerous or awkward for the new rider to complete safely, he or she should do
what he needs to do to protect himself and avoid an
accident. This may mean passing up a turn or taking it very slowly, or parking
somewhere not with the group, or going more slowly through a curve than the
riders ahead of him.
Each rider commands his entire area within a
lane and may move to left or right in it as required.
Another exception: the Drag Bike may not travel in
the same path as the rest of the group. If, for example, a two-lane road is
narrowing so that a lane is about to be lost, the Drag Bike will frequently
“close the door” by moving out of the group’s staggered formation into the lane
which is soon to disappear. This is to prevent a four-wheeler from trying at
the last minute to pass part of the group and then have to cut into it when the
pavement runs out. Even if the riders near the back of the group observe that
the Drag Bike is no longer in the position where he has been riding most of the
time, they should maintain their own place in the group.
Rubber-Band (“Yo-yo”) Effect
Reaction time for a motorcyclist when confronted
with an unexpected threat is, on average, about one second. If the need to
react is anticipated (such as when a turn has been announced), then riders can
usually react within about half a second after the bike ahead begins to react.
When a group of riders change speeds very gradually, however, it usually takes
two or three seconds for a rider to recognize this and begin to change his
speed to maintain his position in the group.
This doesn’t sound like much time, but experienced
group riders manage their risks reasonably well with a minimum one-second
interval between each bike and a minimum two-second interval between bikes that
are traveling in the same track. When the group has more than six bikes in it,
however, gradual changes in speed within the group can become tricky.
When a Lead Bike begins to accelerate, the second
bike doesn’t instantly start to travel at the faster rate. Instead, a gap grows
between them while the second bike is reacting -- and it continues to grow
until the second bike is fully up to the increased, stable speed of the Lead
Bike. Clearly, once the speeds are the same, the gap will remain the same size.
However, since most groups prefer to keep a one-second
minimum interval between bikes (two seconds between bikes in the same track),
the new gap caused by the Lead Bike’s acceleration may be larger than is
desired. When this occurs, the second bike must go faster than the first
one for a brief time in order to “catch up.”
If we assume that the Lead Bike speeds up from 60 to
70 mph over a period of two seconds, the second bike will have to ride at 75
mph for two seconds (after his reaction time passes) in order to close the gap.
Then he will take another one second to decelerate back to 70 mph to create a
gap of the proper size.
If there were only two bikes in the group, this
example is easy to follow. But when the group is larger, and the bikes involved
are riding further back in the pack, the “rubber band” effect can be especially
dangerous to all bikes from the middle of the group to the Drag Bike.
For example, the third bike in the group has this
problem: About two seconds after the second bike has begun to accelerate, the
third bike responds. Now, however, the second bike is moving at 75 mph rather
than at 70 mph like the Lead Bike. The third bike must use even more effort to
catch up to the second bike than the second bike did to match his speed to the
Lead Bike’s new speed, if the gap is to stay relatively constant. He will have
to move at 75 mph for four seconds, not two, to catch up. The fourth bike will
have to accelerate to 80 mph!
In a group of only six motorcycles, the last one
will find the gap between himself and the fifth bike has grown to 143 feet before
it begins to close, once he starts to speed up, given these average reaction
times. And it will be at least 11 seconds after the Lead Bike first began to
accelerate before the sixth bike does so.
Now, imagine what happens in the group if, while this
is taking place, the Lead Bike must apply his brakes! This rubber-band effect
becomes extremely important if the Lead Bike happens to make an abrupt and
major change of speed at certain critical moments, such as when approaching a
sharp turn or a tricky curve.
The rubber-band effect can be reduced by following
these guidelines:
This problem has been described with respect to the
acceleration of the Lead Bike. When the rubber band effect is considered in
reverse -- that is, when the Lead Bike is suddenly braking -- these tips on how
to avoid the rubber-band effect can be even more important. Those who ride as
Lead Bike for their group should be aware of the importance of avoiding sudden
changes in speed if at all possible, so as to reduce the risks to those
following.